"Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez stated that more than 400 people have been released since December 2024, insisting they are 'not political prisoners' but individuals convicted of "offences against the law and the Constitution," speaking during a parliamentary session in Caracas on Tuesday. "People who called for an invasion – they were indulged; people who called for military aggression against Venezuela were indulged; people who promoted violence, disunity, and division were indulged," he elaborated. "To date, there are more than 400 people released, the first 160 on December 23, 2024," Rodriguez announced. He added that the release "will continue to happen, and not because you ask us to, it is because the Bolivarian government had already announced it as a unilateral gesture of the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela." The National Assembly president also criticised the Venezuelan non-governmental human rights organisation Foro Penal, stating that it is a discredited body for charging people who raise the issue of release. "It charges money in a crafty and mean way. Rubbish, that way in which Foro Penal uses the situation of people deprived of liberty," he proclaimed. The list of released prisoners was made available to opposition lawmakers, as Rodriguez urged them to promote peaceful coexistence."